Mumps cases on the rise in Coastal Health region

More cases of the mumps have surfaced in the Vancouver Coastal Health region - with 13 new cases in the last month alone.

That brings the total since February to 80 - well above the average of 32 cases annually between 2011 and 2015.

Health authorities are urging young adults heading off to high school, college and university to get vaccinated - they're at increased risk for getting mumps, which can be transmitted by a cough or sneeze, as well as by sharing food, drinks, cigarettes or even a kiss.

In the Interior Health Region, which includes Kelowna, there have been no cases of mumps in the past two months - and there have only been 4 reported cases between January and September.

The bus company has applied to the Passenger Transportation Board to have routes between Kelowna and Penticton, Kelowna and Kamloops, and Kelowna and Vancouver to go from a weekly minimum frequency of 28 trips each way, to just 2.